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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Amman’s Strategic Mistake - Why Did Jordan Shoot Down Iranian Missiles, Drones? (ANALYSIS)</h1>April 15, 2024</div>
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<img src="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Jordan_Analysis_PC.png" alt="" title="Jordan_Analysis_PC" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" width="395" height="265" style="margin-right: 25px;">
Jordanian police Suppress an anti-Israel protest in Amman. (Design: Palestine Chronicle)
<p><strong>By <a href="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/palestine-chronicle-editors" title="Display all articles for Palestine Chronicle Editors">Palestine Chronicle Editors</a></strong></p>
<blockquote>
<h3><span>Critical voices argue that Jordan would not think about
shooting down Israeli missiles, drones or fighter jets if the target was
Iraq, Syria or Iran. </span></h3>
</blockquote>
<p><span>Though France’s contributions to western efforts aimed at
blocking as many Iranian drones and missiles from entering Israeli
airspace remains unclear, Jordan’s contributions to the campaign are
well known. </span></p>
<p><span>Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi was unapologetic for his country’s <a href="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/iran-begins-retaliatory-attack-on-israel-developing-story/">role</a> in shooting down the Iranian drones and missiles. </span></p>
<p><span>He was outraged, however, over Iranian criticism that Jordan
has opted to take a stance in defense of Israel, though did nothing to
protect Palestinians after six months of an Israeli genocide. </span></p>
<p><span>The Jordanian government insists that shooting down the Iranian
missiles was only done to protect its airspace, not that of Israel. Few
are convinced, however, as Jordanian airspace has been violated time
and again by the US and other western powers to launch attacks at
multiple Arab countries. </span></p>
<p><span>Critical voices also argue that Jordan would not think about
shooting down Israeli missiles, drones or fighter jets if the target was
Iraq, Syria or Iran. </span></p>
<h4><b>Summoning Iranian Ambassador</b></h4>
<p><span>Despite the fact that Jordan refrained from severing its diplomatic ties with Israel, it was swift to react against Iran. </span></p>
<p><span>“Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Amman summoned
Iran’s ambassador to protest offensive remarks,” Al-Jazeera reported,
citing Jordan’s state news agency.</span></p>
<p><span>According to Petra, Safadi renewed his country’s commitment to
“confront every drone or missile that penetrates its airspace.” He also
argued that “Benjamin Netanyahu is driven by a ‘cancellation’ ideology
toward the Palestinians and is trying to provoke a confrontation with
Iran to distract attention from what is happening in Gaza,” Al-Jazeera
reported. </span></p>
<p><span>His logic, however, is flimsy at best. Safadi, as a seasoned
diplomat, understands that an Iranian failure to respond would cost
Tehran dearly, in terms of reputation, standing amongst its allies, and
will certainly embolden Israel to escalate further. </span></p>
<p><span>Palestinians, Jordanians and other Arabs on social media don’t
seem to share Safadi’s convenient rationale. In fact, Palestinians, like
other Arabs, celebrate the Iranian retaliation to the Israeli attack on
Tehran’s consulate on April 1, whether on the ground or on social
media. </span></p>
<p><span>While some anti-Iranian writers continue to fault Iran, whether
for responding or not doing more, many questions are being raised about
what Arab governments have done to help Gaza. </span></p>
<h4><b>Helping Israel</b></h4>
<p><span>Not only did Arab miltaries failed to even threaten Israel if
it continues with the genocide in Gaza, Arab states are actively keeping
the Israeli economy afloat by creating alternative shipping lanes to
offset the damage created by Yemen’s embargo on Israeli ships. </span></p>
<p><span>If it were not for these Arab states, including Jordan, the Israeli economy would have faltered at a much faster speed. </span></p>
<p><span>But Jordan’s position is particularly difficult, and the
government’s decision to shoot down Iranian missiles and drones shall
complicate its attempt to paint its position as pro-Gaza. </span></p>
<p><span>The country is a home of a population that detest Israel. Mass
protests, calls for boycott and demands for action have emanated from
Jordan since the start of the Israeli genocidal war. Yet no action has
been taken, aside from well-choreographed scenes of Jordanian air force
dropping a few containers of supplies over northern Gaza. The airdrops
took place in full coordination with Israel. </span></p>
<p><span>But ‘action’ has been taken against Jordanian protesters, who
have been dispersed using violent means. Many Jordanians have also been
arrested for attempting to storm the Israeli embassy, which remains
active in Amman. </span></p>
<h4><b>Betrayal</b></h4>
<p><span>Safadi may try to justify his country’s action in the name of
sovereignty. That sovereignty however didn’t seem to matter numerous
times in the past, when Jordanian territories were used as launchpads to
attack other Arab countries and anti-Israeli, US groups. </span></p>
<p><span>The nature of accusation over what Jordan has done to protect
Israel are no longer confined to typical criticism of weak Arab
governments and armies. Social media activists are referring to what
Jordan is doing as a direct act of betrayal of Palestine and the Arab
nation. </span></p>
<p><span>“The question is,” tweeted Saeed Ziad, a social media activist,
“when Israeli drones and missiles cross over the Jordanian airspace (in
retaliation to the Iranian attack – PC) will the Jordanian air defenses
confront them as they have done with the Iranian drones?”</span></p>
<p><span>“Who is the enemy of the Arabs? Israel, or Iran?,” he asked. </span></p>
<p><span>The behavior of some Arab countries since October 7, and even
before, makes the answer quite obvious, but also dangerous, as it raises
yet another question: </span></p>
<p><span>How long will Arab governments be allowed to champion US,
Israeli interests and priorities, at the expense of the collective
interests and priorities of the Arab peoples? </span></p>
<p><i><span>(The Palestine Chronicle) </span></i></p>
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